Fomer Tory candidate attacked

A TORY candidate who pledged to tackle rising crime in last year’s local elections has been violently assaulted in Middleton Conservative Club. David Harris, 60, was left badly shaken after he was set upon by two teenage thugs during an attempted robbery at the party’s Long Street base.

A TORY candidate who pledged to tackle rising crime in last year’s local elections has been violently assaulted in Middleton Conservative Club.

David Harris, 60, was left badly shaken after he was set upon by two teenage thugs during an attempted robbery at the party’s Long Street base.

Mr Harris, who has been club secretary for three months, unsuccessfully ran for the Middleton North seat in April last year – campaigning for more police in the town to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.

"There’s no sort of discipline, from the parents to the schools, and if they do get caught it’ll just be a slap on the wrists. It has no effect at all."

Middleton Conservative Club was busy with line dancers and bowling club members when the two teenage attackers entered at about 9.30am on Thursday 3 September.

The pair made their way to the club’s office, where Mr Harris was working, and demanded that he open the safe.

Mr Harris, a bus driver from Alkrington, said he could not open it and bravely charged at one youth who was stood in the door keeping look out.

He and the would-be robber spilled out into the corridor, when the second teenager punched Mr Harris in the side of the head from behind. Both youths then fled empty-handed.

"I am bit shaken up now and it was frightening at the time but I was determined that they weren’t going to get away with anything," said Mr Harris, who is hoping to run again for the Conservatives in next year’s local elections.

He described the two offenders as aged between 15 and 17, white and wearing hooded tops.

Margaret McManus, manageress of Middleton Conservative Club for the past

four years, said: "I think it’s absolutely disgusting to attack a 60-year-old like that. He’s a lovely man.

"We’ve all been left in shock. We don’t even know how they got in. This is the first time anything like this has happened in here.

"It’s a quiet club and you don’t expect anything like that to happen."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said inquiries were ongoing. Anyone with information can call police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.